Fratellos does not have an apostrophe in its name. That’s because “fratellos” means “brothers” in Italian.
And the Lakemoor restaurant was really started by brothers Larry and Lou Carvelli in a tiny trailer back in 1975. Today just one brother, Lou, of Westchester, is at the helm of the casual eatery, which serves local favorites like Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef and sausage, subs and burgers.
A lot has changed in the past 45 years. The hot dog stand stood in unincorporated Lake County, then part of Volo and eventually annexed into Lakemoor. The Carvelli brothers expanded to three more restaurants in Lake Zurich, Palatine and Rolling Meadows, but when Larry Carvelli wanted to move to Florida 20 years ago, Lou Carvelli sold the other restaurants to concentrate on the one high-volume restaurant in Lakemoor.
“I was 19 when we started. It used to be you could shoot a cannon out here and never hit anything,” Lou Carvelli said. “We have a very transient customer base, meaning that you get people driving through on the way to the Chain O’Lakes area and on to Lake Geneva. People from all over. I could be walking on the beach in Mexico and run into someone who’s been to Fratellos. It’s a unique location and we’re busy every day.”
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Surely, part of Fratellos’ popularity can be attributed to its Chicago classics. Vienna Red Hots; Maxwell Street Polish with mustard and grilled onions; Double Italian sausage; Chicken Parm sandwich; and Italian Chili-n-Pasta. Or Lou Carvelli’s personal favorite, “after 40 years, going on 41 of eating here,” the combo-beef-n-sausage.
“We subscribe to QSC: quality, service and cleanliness. My brother and I, from the beginning, were always hands on. We have systems in place so that we run the place as if we had 1,000 locations instead of just one.”
Lou Carvelli recalls when Fratellos started out as a little trailer, and then grew to a bigger building, “and then a bigger one and a bigger one and a bigger one. Every six or seven years you have to be fresh and new. It’s been eight or nine years since our last remodel.”
So, naturally he’s already thinking ahead to the next incarnation. He hopes to expand on Chicago nostalgia with a dining room expansion. “Maybe we’ll give it a little twist.”
The walls are loaded with custom-framed and enlarged photographs capturing Chicago’s rich history. The original Navy Pier. Vintage Wrigley Field during a Bears game. A Cubs game. A 1917 World Series poster between the White Sox and Giants.
To be fair, both Cubs and Sox ball clubs are represented. Which team does Carvelli prefer? “Whoever’s winning.”
Pricing: Hot dogs and Polish from $2.89 for Chicago-style Hot Dog to $4.49 for Maxwell Street Polish. Beef and sausage sandwiches from $4.49 for Italian sausage to $6.99 for combo-beef-n-sausage. Hamburgers from $4.49; $7.59 for double cheeseburger. Chicken from $4.89 for char-grilled chicken sandwich to $5.89 for char-grilled chicken wrap. Specialty sandwiches from $4.59 for garden veggie pattie sandwich to $6.95 for chicken pesto panini. Soup, chili and pasta from $3.29. Side orders from $1.75 to $3.79. Salads from $5.25 $7.49. Add regular-size fries and soft drink to sandwiches for $3.10. Kids’ meals from $4.49 to $4.99.
Hours: Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Fratellos Hot Dogs is at 31682 N. Highway 12, Route 12 and Route 120, Lakemoor. Call 815-344-2692 or go to fratelloshotdogs.com.
Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance writer.